Broadcom announces a quad-core 1.2GHz chip for midrange smartphones

CHIP DESIGNER Broadcom has released its BCM23550 quad-core ARM Cortex A7 based processor for mainstream smartphones.

Broadcom, unlike rivals such as Texas Instruments, Qualcomm and Samsung, has stuck to providing application processors for mainstream smartphones that have seen it mostly avoid the limelight. However the firm is starting to pack a considerable amount of power into its chips, with the BCM23550 sporting a quad-core 1.2GHz Cortex A7 processing core and support for 5G WiFi and NFC.

Broadcom also touted the ability to record and share video through Miracast, while the BCM23550 has enough processing power to deal with 12MP image sensor data. The firm is also well known for its baseband products so it is no surprise that the BCM23550 not only supports NFC and GPS but 5G WiFi as well.

What Broadcom's BCM23550 shows is a glimpse of the midrange smartphones of the near future. The firm is effectively saying that quad-core Cortex A7 chips with HSPA+ 21Mbit/sec support are going to be found in smartphones that do not cost more than many laptops, though perhaps a little disappointing is the BCM23550's support of HP 720P resolution screens.

Broadcom said that the BCM23550 is sampling now, with mass production slated for the third quarter. µ